Two men jailed over Limerick home invasion and ATM theft

TWO intruders who broke into a house in Limerick and ‘frog-marched’ one of the occupants to a nearby ATM where they forced him to withdraw cash have each received lengthy prison sentences.

Jason Power, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Prospect and Jack Finucane, aged 19, of O’Malley Park, Southill had pleaded guilty to multiple charges including robbery and false imprisonment relating to an incident in Castletroy in the early hours of June 7, last.

Detective Garda Cathal O’Sullivan told Limerick Circuit Court a number of young people who had summer jobs were living in the house at Castlebrook, College Court at the time.

The 20-year-old victim, he said, was awoken by the intruders who entered his bedroom sometime after 1am.

“They were shouting at him and shaking him,” he said, adding that when another one of the occupants was alerted to the presence of the defendants they pretended to be friends of the victim by shaking his hand.

After the intruders found the young man’s wallet he was told to get dressed and then instructed to go downstairs and to walk to the Castletroy Plaza shopping centre where he was ordered to enter his PIN at an ATM.

Finucane, who claimed he was armed with a gun, withdrew €250 which was the maximum daily limit on the account.

Having been alerted, gardai arrived in the area to find the victim being flanked by the defendants at the shopping centre.

“They were essentially caught in the act,” said John O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting, who added that CCTV and ATM records were obtained by investigating gardai.

While he did not provide a formal victim impact statement, the youth told gardai he was terrified and feared he was going to be killed.

Judge Tom O’Donnell noted the defendants come from a difficult background and were under the influence of alcohol and drugs on the night. Both have matured since the incident and are doing well in custody.

He said what happened was terrifying for the victim and had also caused considerable upset for the other occupants in the house.

He imposed six year prison sentences – suspending the final 18 months in the case of Power and the final two years in the case of Finucane.

If you wish, you can contact us using any of the methods below. 54 O'Connell Street Limerick Ireland Email: news@limerickleader.ie Telephone: 061 214500

This website and its associated sites are full participating members of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. This scheme in addition to defending the freedom of the press, offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie